It said members have reported getting calls from someone claiming to be a PCSO asking for a financial contribution towards setting up a community scheme to help stop youths vandalising farms.

In return, the caller said the farm’s details would be added to a publication.

A similar scam has also been reported by CLA members in Nottinghamshire.

Nicola Currie, CLA eastern regional director, said: “The police do not cold call in order to request money for advertisements. If you receive a suspicious call and are unable to authenticate it, you are advised not give out any personal details, bank details or funds.

“Any representative from Suffolk’s force should always state their full name, job role and give their contact details, and give the person they are calling the option to call them back through the main switchboard to authenticate the call.”

Suffolk Police’s Rural Crime Officer Mark Bryant said: “It’s a scam, 100%, and farmers should just put the phone down. If you receive one of these calls you can alert the police by calling 101, as well as reporting it to BT as a nuisance call.”

Calls can also be reported to Action Fraud, a one-stop reporting centre handling all reports of fraud in the UK. It can be contacted online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.